Adrian Newey explains why he ‘can’t see’ Sebastian Vettel making F1 comeback

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Ever since he retired at the end of the 2022 season there have been rumblings that Sebastian Vettel might make a Formula 1 comeback if the right opportunity appears.

When Lewis Hamilton announced he would be leaving Mercedes earlier this year, there was a possibility that Vettel could fill the vacancy given his status within F1 with George Russell stating that he would enjoy the prospect.

The four-time World Champion is one of the most successful drivers in F1 history with only Michael Schumacher, Hamilton and Juan-Manuel Fangio ahead of him on the all-time titles list.

His last championship came in 2013 with Red Bull when he drove the RB9 to title success, which was designed with the help of Adrian Newey.

Newey will be making the switch from Red Bull to Aston Martin after 18 years at the former, the majority of which he spent working alongside Vettel.

When asked if he can see the German making an F1 comeback in the future, Newey offered an explanation into why he thinks it is unlikely when speaking on the High Performance podcast.

Sebastian Vettel ‘enjoying life’ outside of F1 says Adrian Newey

Vettel has previously discussed the possibility of a comeback earlier this year, but admitted that there is one aspect to it that he might struggle with due to his age.

The German is currently 36 years old and while he has generally kept himself in shape, recently competing in a bike race in Switzerland under the pseudonym Sebastian Sprater, he believes the fitness level required in F1 to withstand the g-forces would be a main barrier.

When asked by Jake Humphrey over whether he thinks Vettel will make a comeback in the near future, Newey explained why he thinks it is unlikely.

Newey: “Sebastian still rang up the other day and talked to me, travelled through Norway in his motorhome.

Humphrey: “I hear rumours he’s coming back to F1, is that true?”

Newey: “I can’t see that. He’s enjoying his life, he’s moved on and doing different things and fair play to him.”

Adrian Newey finally working with Fernando Alonso

It is no secret that Newey sees working with some of the greats in F1 as a lucrative prospect, especially after stating publicly that he dreamed of working with Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

While a proposed move to Ferrari did not come off in the end after team principal Frederic Vasseur rejected his offer, Newey now gets to fulfil his ambitions of working with Alonso with his move to Aston Martin.

READ MORE: Adrian Newey’s success at Aston Martin will depend on key partnership

Newey said he was impressed by billionaire team owner Lawrence Stroll, while team ambassador and former F1 driver Pedro de la Rosa believes Aston Martin now has the ‘ingredients to win’ ahead of the 2026 rule change.

An Alonso and Newey partnership is something F1 fans can get excited about, as the 43-year-old looks to add to his tally of 32 wins.